QUIET LIFE by JAPAN is really a great album. It was released in 1979 and it captures the sound of their transition period, from being a somewhat punky glam rock band to an arty and experimental atmospheric New Romantic outfit. The album has danceable new wave synth tracks (like the title track, produced by Giorgio Moroder) but also tracks like Despair that would not be misplaced if they'd have appeared on Gentlemen Take Polaroids, the album's successor. Plus it has this great cover version of All Tomorrow's Parties of course (originally by the Velvet Underground). The picture above is my copy of the original 1979 pressing on Hansa.
The album has been re-pressed until 1983. Since the introduction of the CD, there was no vinyl reissue. But finally, almost 30 years after the last reissue of the album on vinyl, Music On Vinyl released a version that has not only the album but also 2 extra discs, 15 tracks, of bonus material. B-sides of singles, remixes and special extended versions. Plus a replica of the Japanese insert with liner notes is included. All of this on audiophile heavy vinyl; and to top it off, the first 1000 copies were on red vinyl and numbered. It's one of my favourite reissues on Music On Vinyl, i can say.
Quiet Life is also the album where you'll hear the distinctive sound of Mick Karn's fretless bass at first. I got to learn them from their later (and last studio-) album Tin Drum, and this pretty unique sound, at least in pop music, was a big part of what appealed to me in their sound. Sadly a few weeks before this vinyl reissue came out, he died from cancer. Both on the original as on the reissue, he is featured on the back cover of the album. Music On Vinyl did a great job in honouring him by putting this text "In memory of Mick Karn (July 24 1958 - January 4 2011)" right underneath his portrait. It was a last-minute adaption in the artwork because the album was already scheduled for February 2011 and the sleeves had nearly been printed, when the news of his death reached the world.
original album:
Label: Hansa
Cat.nr.: 201.261
Year of release: 1979
SIDE A:
01. Quiet Life
02. Fall In Love With Me
03. Despair
04. In-Vogue
SIDE B:
01. Halloween
02. All Tomorrow's Parties
03. Alien
04. The Other Side Of Life
reissue:
Label: Music On Vinyl
Cat.nr.: MOVLP176
Year of release: 2011
SIDE A:
01. Quiet Life
02. Fall In Love With Me
03. Despair
04. In-Vogue
SIDE B:
01. Halloween
02. All Tomorrow's Parties
03. Alien
04. The Other Side Of Life
SIDE C:
01. Quiet Life (Extended Version)
02. Quiet Life (Original UK 7" Version)
03. European Son (12" Version)
04. I Second That Emotion (7" Version)
SIDE D:
01. Life In Tokyo (Remix)
02. Life In Tokyo (Extended Remix)
03. Life In Tokyo (Special Remix)
04. Life In Tokyo (Part 2)
SIDE E:
01. A Foreign Place
02. Quiet Life (UK 1981 7" Version)
03. All Tomorrow's Parties (7" Version)
04. Life In Tokyo Theme
SIDE F:
01. All Tomorrow's Parties (Steve Nye Extended Remix)
02. I Second That Emotion (Steve Nye Extended Remix)
03. European Son (Steve Nye Extended Remix)
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